Vekoma Roller Coasters

[TyRush]

Stinger was surprisingly smooth to me. Most other Vekoma's are Every now and then you get a good ride on the boomerangs, but mostly bad ones

[rcjp]

I rode stinger at dorney a week ago and it wasn't bad at all! Relatively smooth, some nice Gs and a fun ride, overall.

I also went on sidewinder at Hershey and it was a bit bumpier, not really rough, it just had some "snaps" in the cobra roll but those restraints were rather good.

As far as I remember, the only other big vekoma I've been on was Stunt Fall at Parque Warner and it was pretty good. Decently thrilling, not rough at all and quite fast and tall.

 

So I guess I haven't really got anything bad to say about vekoma (maybe that's because I've never been on an SLC ).

[Pyrozooka0]

I've been on 0 SLCs and 1 Boomerang (Carolina Cobra pre-new-trains), so I cant really generalize about the clone models, but going off of Ninja at SFOG, Vekoma is pretty good at dishing out the pain. However, the Dutchman model (ridden as Nighthawk) is awesome, and so are all of the Disney vekomas I have been on (R&RC and Everest, with SDMT a planned future credit)

[GigaG]

I've been on several Vekomas. Here is my opnion-

 

SLCs - I've been on Thunderhawk and Flight Deck. I only rode Flight Deck once in the front to avoid bumpiness, so that's out of the question. Thunderhawk was OK the last time I rode it, although by no means perfectly smooth. Verdict - An intense ride with a nice ending (the double roll), but has the potential to be bumpy.

 

Invertigos - The ones at Kings Island and Dorney are fairly smooth. Verdict - A surprising lack of headbanging and an intense layout - however, I would imagine that these are vomit factories.

 

Boomerangs - These are actually decent. They are headbangers, but they never have a line and I have re-ridden several. I guess it all depends where you sit. Verdict - Bumpier than the Invertigos, and I would imagine it requires a bit of trial and error to figure out the best seat. Again, these are probably vomit factories, though less so than Invertigos.

 

Roller Skaters - OK, really?

 

Loopers - Never experienced one. When I went to SFOG, Ninja was closed. And based on what I've heard, this is a good thing.

 

Giant Inverted Boomerang - Never been on one.

[azza29]

Vekomas with updated trains seem to go pretty well - thinking Arkham Asylum at Movie World and Hersheypark's Sidewinder. As for the rest of their SLCs/Boomerangs... at least with the consistent layout you know when to brace.

[yay101]

I've never been on an SLC, but I have ridden Invertigo (KI) and Spaceley's Sprocket Rockets. They were both fun rides...

[cfc]

^Invertigos aren't bad rides, but they don't seem all that reliable.

[The49er]

Generally, the non-inverting ones are good, and I had a really good ride on SFDK's Boomerang, but SLCs are just painful. Not to mention Ninja @ SFoG or Goudurix. I think those are why was invented.

[Xmeister]

Vekoma has been getting better lately.

 

I'd like to see a boomerang with the same track style as Expedition Everest or Battlestar Galactica. Then I could imagine that they could be pretty great rides. Maybe they could spice things up a bit and make a new version of the sit down model (non-inverted) with a steeper tower, airtime hill instead of the vertical loop or hell take a leaf out of Gerstauler's book and replace the cobra roll with a banana roll .

 

That being said I've had a few park visits shortened by a ride on a Vekoma coaster.

[Diamondbacker27]

^Invertigos aren't bad rides, but they don't seem all that reliable.

Yep. Every time I go to KI Invertigo is usually shut down for about 30 minutes and tests maybe 6 times.

[JonnyRCT3]

Rides are decent, some better than others. Most aren't anything special, but there are some (exceptionally rare) very good ones.

 

The real issue with me are the restraints.

[ArizonaGuy]

I've had good rides on Boomerang at SFFT and Serial Thriller when it was at SFAW but riding Kong at SFDK was just horrible. I guess it just depends on how old they are.

[YoshiFan]

^Invertigos aren't bad rides, but they don't seem all that reliable.

Yep. Every time I go to KI Invertigo is usually shut down for about 30 minutes and tests maybe 6 times.

 

Stinger at Dorney has also had some issues with riders getting stuck (the worst so far being 90 minutes). I don't really like the coaster that much anyway so I have only ridden it a few times over the past 2 seasons and will probably only ride it 2 - 3 times a season now.

[gerstlaueringvar]

I don't think I have had a really terrible ride on any Vekomas. The parable mid about the knock-off Vekoma SLCs that kills people.

[Dr. M]

I know many dislike boomerangs but with the new restraints the one at Hershey has become a must-ride for me every time I go, considering the line is rarely long. That first drop is the third scariest in the park, IMO. And considering Fahrenheit is beyond vertical and Skyrush tries its darndest to catapult you from the train, that's saying something.

 

But I'll never forgive them for Mind Eraser.

[coasternate]

I know that Vekoma coasters are generally very painful. Which do you think is the worst? Also, are there any Vekoma coasters that you think are good rides? What are, in your opinion, the best and worst coasters from Vekoma?

[KarlaKoaster]

Worst I've ridden is El Condor or Goudurix. Best I've ridden are either Big Thunder Mountain or Expedition Everest. I think their family coasters are pretty decent to be fair.

[singemfrc]

In my experience pretty much everything they do OTHER than SLCs and boomerangs are great. There's just so many of those that they get a reputation.

 

GravityMax is a great Vekoma, the Flying Dutchman models like Sting Ray I hear are pretty great if also a little weird, and they also do some custom work for Disney like Expedition Everest which pretty much everyone loves. Everest I think is the best without much argument. The worst would probably be any one of a number of SLCs.

[YoshiFan]

The best I have ridden is Expedition Everest. The worst Vekoma I have ridden is Stinger at Dorney. I prefer regular boomerangs (not that I like regular boomerangs much either) since Stinger has headbanging, very uncomfortable restraints and you never know if the ride is going to break down while you are riding.

[MrSum1_55]

Of what I have ridden in the US, I would say Firehawk. It is by far the smoothest large Vekoma coaster I have ever ridden. Second place goes to Everest, and I would give third to Carolina Cobra/Sidewinder (awesome restraints)

[TheDark8]

Firehawk , Nighthawk, Carolina Cobra, and Expedition Everest are good. Thunderhawk is a decent SLC, as is Golden Wings in Snowfield which was at Happy Valley Beijing China. I did get to ride a knock-off SLC that wasn't that bad (By Vekoma standards)

 

Most SLCs I have ridden have sucked with the exception of a few. I think Invertigo at Kings Island and Stinger at Dorney suck. Any Boomerang coaster without the new restraints is not pleasant. The worst are Ninja at SFOG, Ninja at SFSL and Goudurix. (That I have ridden) I did ride two knock off SLCs in China and one of them gave me a migraine (It was crawling through the last inversions and turns yet still managed to injure me \ ). The other wasn't horrible, but it still was bad.

Edited July 26, 2014 by TheDark8

[TheMaxster]

Yes, Firehawk at Michigan's Adventure definitely does deserve an award for smoothest Vekoma SLC. It is actually one of my favorite rides and a much better experience than Shivering Timbers.

[Werner]

Worst? Gouderix, no doubt about that one!

Best? Big Thunder Mountain, Disneyland Pars! Just your BTM with the added of 2 under water tunnels!

 

I also think that Vekoma has build some really good rides, most of them are more family orientated. And the partnership with Disney gave us some pretty decent coasters in those parks too.

 

Edit: Pot 666!

[TheDark8]

Yes, Firehawk at Michigan's Adventure definitely does deserve an award for smoothest Vekoma SLC. It is actually one of my favorite rides and a much better experience than Shivering Timbers.

 

Thunderhawk? Definitely one of the best SLCs.

[Noporian]

Idk, SLC obviously worst but what's best?

-Junior inverts are amazing

-Junior boomerangs are amazing (there needs to be more of those underrated things)

(such as ben 10 ultimate mission at drayton manor)

-Their mine trains can be amazing

-Their motorbike launches are amazing

 

I can't decide i love vekoma!